US 12,762,527 B1Granted

Device controlling and/or indicating sensor mode

AssigneeBlock, Inc.

InventorsGregory Fulco, Christa Seta, Alisha Wilson

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Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for controlling and/or indicating sensor usability. For instance, a system running an application can identify, based on contextual data, a transition in the application from a first mode (in which a sensor is not usable by the application) to a second mode (in which the sensor is usable by the application). The system can transition an output device (e.g., a display) from not outputting a sensor usability indicator (while in the first mode) to outputting the sensor usability indicator (while in the second mode). The system activates the sensor to scan an optical glyph (while in the second mode and while outputting the sensor usability indicator). The system analyzes the optical glyph to optically decode object information from the optical glyph. The object information is associated with an object. The system performs an action associated with the object based on the object information.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A hand-held payment device comprising:

a housing;
an optical sensor at least partially in the housing;
a payment instrument reader at least partially in the housing;
an output device at least partially in the housing;
a memory that is in the housing and that stores instructions corresponding to an application;
and
a processor that is in the housing and that executes the instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:
analyze contextual data using a machine learning model to generate a model output, the machine learning model being trained to identify a sensor mode that the application is in based on the contextual data, the sensor mode being one of a plurality of possible modes for the application;
identify a transition in the application from a first mode to a second mode of the plurality of possible modes for the application based on the model output, wherein different modes of the plurality of possible modes are associated with different functionalities, wherein the first mode is one of a first subset of the plurality of possible modes in which the optical sensor is disconnected from a power supply via a switch and optical sensor data from the optical sensor is not usable by the application, and wherein the second mode is one of a second subset of the plurality of possible modes in which the optical sensor is connected to the power supply via the switch and the optical sensor data from the optical sensor is usable by the application;
transition the output device from not outputting an optical sensor usability indicator while the application is in the first mode to outputting the optical sensor usability indicator while the application is in the second mode, the optical sensor usability indicator identifying that the optical sensor is connected to the power supply and the optical sensor data from the optical sensor is usable by the application while the application is in the second mode;
activate the optical sensor to scan an optical glyph while the application is in the second mode and while the output device is outputting the optical sensor usability indicator;
analyze the optical glyph to optically decode object information from the optical glyph as scanned in the optical sensor data, wherein the object information is associated with an object;
and
perform an action associated with the object and based on the object information.

11 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a housing;
a sensor at least partially in the housing;
an output device at least partially in the housing;
a memory that is in the housing and that stores instructions corresponding to an application;
and
a processor that is in the housing and that executes the instructions, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:
receive, by a machine learning engine, contextual data;
analyze the contextual data using a machine learning model of the machine learning engine;
generate an output using the machine learning model, the output including a sensor mode determination, the sensor mode determination being utilized to identify a status of the sensor corresponding to at least one of a first mode or a second mode, wherein the sensor is disconnected from a power supply via a switch and sensor data from the sensor is not usable by the application while the application is in the first mode, and wherein the sensor is connected to the power supply via the switch and the sensor data from the sensor is usable by the application while the application is in the second mode;
identify a transition in the application from the first mode to the second mode;
transition the output device from not outputting a sensor usability indicator while the application is in the first mode to outputting the sensor usability indicator while the application is in the second mode, the sensor usability indicator identifying that the sensor is connected to the power supply and the sensor data from the sensor is usable by the application while the application is in the second mode;
activate the sensor to scan an optical glyph while the application is in the second mode and while the output device is outputting the sensor usability indicator;
analyze the optical glyph to optically decode object information from the optical glyph as scanned in the sensor data, wherein the object information is associated with an object;
and
perform an action associated with the object based on the object information.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.